Apparatus for heat treating liquids



`lala-,mea Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES Parar Nr-ICE EDWARD C. DYARMETT, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIAGNOR- TO THE FRACTIONAT'OR COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI APPARATUS non `HEM1 'rnnn'riive LreUiDs Application filed September 3, 1929.

My invention relates to apparatus for heat treating liquids composed of various liquids havingA different boiling points, such as hydrocarbon oils, to increase the yield of lighter 5' fractions of the liquid, the object of the present `inventionbeing to provide an effective apparatus of the type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,732,805, issued to me on October 22, 1929, and in my Aco-pending apa plication, Serial No. 388,953, for converting the heavier fractions of the liquid into lighter fractions thereof, and thereby increase the value of the original liquid.

In accomplishing such object, I have provided apparatus of improved detail construction, the preferred form of which is illustrated "in the accompanying y drawings, wherein :d

Fig. 1 is a view of the apparatus in central Vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of parts of centrifuging and baffle disks.

Referring in detail to the drawings :V 1 designates a retort, including a, shell pref- 95 erably circular in cross section, having a closed bottom 2 and an open top 3 preferably in unrestricted communication with a fractionating tower 4. Journaled in bearings 5 and G in the bottom of the retort and in the top of the tower, respectively, is a hollow shaft 7 having a spindle 8 extended through astuiiing box 9 at the bottom of the retort, and provided with a pulley wheel 10 whereby the shaft may be revolved by a belt 11 operable from a source of power, not shown.

Fixed on the shaft 7 within the retort and in spaced relation throughout the depth i thereof, is a series of centrifuging members 12 preferably consisting of vflat metal disks of slifrhtly less diameter than the interior diameter of the shell 1, and provided attheir peripheries with radial impeller blades 13 preferably stamped from the disks to provide Openings ,14 at the peripheries of the disks for passage of vapors therethrough, and inclined rearwardly relative to the direction of rotation of the shaft to impel oil passing therein upwardly in the shell. Interposed between the blades 12 are baffle 50 members 15, alsoV preferably consisting of Serial No. 389,958.

hat metal disks of the same diameter as the disks 12, and provided adjacent` the shaft with ports 16, through which vapors rising in the retort may pass during their tortuous travel through the retort in the manner presently described.y TheV disks' 15 serve to supplement the centrifuging action of the disks 12 in impelling liquid and heavier va.- pors outwardly from `the shaft toward the wall of the shell when the apparatus is in operation.

17 designates a line opening to the bottom.4

of the retort for supply of the liquid to be treated, 18 openings or ports in the lower end of the shaft, through which gases or vapors may be supplied for mixing with components of the liquid under treatment, and 19 a line for supplying such gases or vapors to the shaft from any suitable source,

such as the heat exchanger employed in con- I nection with the supply line 17.

The retort is located within the. chamber 20 of a furnace 21 `to which a fuel mixture may be delivered for combustion in the furnace chamber through a nozzle 22 preferably located at the upper portion of the furnace so that the products of combustion may pass in counter flow to the liquid rising in the retort, to an outlet 28 communicating with a stack 2i; an auxiliary outlet 25, equippedwith a. damper 26 being preferably located at the upper portion of the furnace for inducing flow of gases through the furnace and stack.

The upper'end ofthe retort preferably ex- Y tends into the fractionating tower 4, forming a wall 27 which, with a fiange 28 on the bottom of the tower, provides a trough 29 for collec-tion of residue from'the retort within the tower, overflow from which may be drawn off from the tower through an, outlet line 30.

Fired to the shaft 7 within thetower are spaced disks 31 preferably dished as shown, and ofsufficiently less `diameter than the tower to provide a passageway between their peripheries and the wall of the tower, the upper of said disks 31 being provided with blades 32, for the purpose of impelling liquid and heavier vapors centrifugally to the wall of the tower. Y

lili) Fixed to the wall of the tower and extending downwardly and inwardly thereof between the disks are drip plates 33 of an interior diameter sufliciently greater than that of the shaft to provide passageway between the plates and shaft, through which vapors generatedY in the retort may rise, and through which liquid condensed from the vapors or supplied at the top of the tower may be directed onto the revolving disks.

The tower is provided with a cover 34 including a vapor dome 35 which surrounds the shaft and preferably extends into the top of the tower for a short distance to form a baffle for' excluding heavier vapors accumulated in the top of thel tower from outlet through the dome with lighter vapors.

36 designates an outlet -line for the light vapors opening from the dome 85.

Assuming the apparatus to be constructed and assembled as described, charging stock is admitted to the bottom of the retort through the supply line under sufficient pressure to force the oil upwardly through the retort.

; With the shaft rotating so that the centrifuging disks have a peripheral speed of not less than seven feet per second, oil entering the retort and rising therethrough under its supply pressure is impell-ed toward the wall of the retort to form a film thereon surround ing an interior space about the shaft, and is rotated over the surface of the shell during its upward travel therethrough.

Vapors evolved from the film of liquid leave the inner surface o-f the film and collect in the space between the shaft and film, passing upwardly through the apertures 16 of the` disks 15, through the openings 14 in the disks l2, and around the disks l2, in a tortuous path and being repeatedly impelled to contact with the film of liquid so that condensate of the vapors is returned to the film and only the lighter vapors finally escape from the retort into the fractionating to-wer as vapors, the remaining liquid overflowing the upwardly projecting wall 27 of the retort into the collecting trough at the bottom of the tower.

Vapors entering the tower are impelled outwardly b-y the centrifuging disks 3l to contact with the relatively cool wall of the tower, on which heavier portions of the vapors condense and flow downwardly to join residue from the retort overfiowing the wall 28 for exit through the off-take line, lighter vapors passing around the rotating disks and being defiected inwardly by the drip plates at successive stages of their travel through the tower, contacting the wall of the tower at each stage so that heavier vapors are successively condensed to flow back over the drip plates to lower disks across the path of rising vapors, such counterflow permitting ascending vapors to revaporize lighter coniponents of the descending liquid as the Valeerer@ pors pass upwardly in the tower. Lighter vapors reaching the top of the tower pass out through the dome 85 and line 36 to be condensed.

lf so desired gases or vapors may be supplied to the retort through the hollow shaft for mixing with components of the charging stock.

With the liquid moving through the retort in film formation,vaporization may be effected at a relatively low temperature and without danger of overheating the oil, and by centrifuging the vapors in the tower separation of the lighter fractions Vmay be effected within a structure of much less height than is ordinarily required for such purpose, thereby effecting economy in space and equipment.

lha-t l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Apparatus of the character described including a retort circular in cross section, a shaft rotatable in the retort, a series of spaced disks on the shaft having centrifuging blades adjacent their peripheries inclined rearwardly relative to direction of rotation of the shaft for impelling liquid under treatment to the wall of the retort, and for rotating the liquid during its travel through the retort. v

2. Apparatus of the character described including a retort circular in cross section, a shaft rotatable in the retort, disks on the shaft having blades struck upwardly from the disks near the peripheries thereof forming openings therethrough, means for delivering liquid to the bottom of the retort, means for heating the retort, and a receiver for vapors evolved from the liquid in the retort.

8. Apparatus of the character described including a retort circular in cross section, a shaft rotatable in the retort, a series of disks on said shaft having radial blades on their upper faces and a series of apertured disks on the shaft alternating with the disks of the first named series, means for supplying liquid to be treated to the bottom of the retort, and a receiver for vapors evolved from the liquid and for the remaining liquid at the opposite end of the retort.

4;. Apparatus of the character described including a retort circular in cross section, a shaft rotatable in the retort, a series of spaced disks on the shaft having radial blades, a second series of plain disks on the shaft alternating with the disks of the first named series and having apertures therein adjacent the shaft, means for supplying liquid to be treated to the bottom of the retort, and means for heating liquid in the retort through the wall thereof.

5. Apparatus of the character described including a retort, a shaft rotatable in the retort, a series of disks on the shaft spaced from the wall of the retort having radial blades and openings adjacent their peripheries, a

iis

second series of disks on the shaft alternating with disks of the first series and having apertures adjacent the shaft, means for delivering liquid for treatment to one end of the retort, means for heating the liquid through the Wall of the retort, and means at the other end ofthe retort for receiving vapors and remaining liquid.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

EDWARD C. DYARMETT. 

